


The Good, The Great, and The Ugly

by Im_The_Doctor (Bofur1)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Babybones (Undertale), Big Brother Sans, Brotherly Love, Bullying, Concern, Confessions, Dysfunctional Relationships, Explanations, Family Issues, Font family, Insults, Lies, Loyalty, Magic, Mild Hurt/Comfort, My First Work in This Fandom, Nervousness, Secrets, Self Confidence Issues, Trust Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2017-02-02
Packaged: 2018-09-21 15:43:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9555704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bofur1/pseuds/Im_The_Doctor
Summary: Papyrus is getting picked on for being "ugly" and Gaster has some things to say about that.





	

*Papyrus!* Sans called for what felt like the hundredth time. *C’mon, stop being a baby bones!* Throwing his back against the tree trunk, he shuffled his feet around and huffed. He had been standing here, trying to coax down his younger brother for at least ten minutes and it was starting to get on his nerves. He wasn’t annoyed at Paps himself, per se; he was annoyed that Paps wasn’t letting him help. It was his job, wasn’t it? If he would just come down from the tree, Sans could help him a lot faster, without _barking_ at him. He was too frustrated to laugh at this thought.

*I’ll leave you here!* he warned at last, glowering up at the small figure in the tree. His brother may be far above him, but Sans knew Papyrus could still hear what he was saying. *And I know you’re scared of the dark, so what’re you gonna do then?!*

[Is that any way to talk to a child?]

Sans jumped a little, pushing himself off the tree trunk to see their father standing nearby, tilting his head and giving him a look that could instantly induce guilt.

*I didn’t mean…I was just—*

[Trying to terrify your brother?] Gaster finished for him as he approached, glancing between his older son and the younger, who had just peeked down anxiously at them. Now that Gaster was looking up, Papyrus was making quite a show of ignoring them. [There are easier methods of coaxing him down, Sans.]

*Yeh, I know,* Sans muttered, rubbing his hands up and down his arms against the chilly air. He knew exactly what method Gaster intended to use and even if Sans had been able to, he wouldn’t have. The idea of forcing his brother into anything, however gently, was foreign; it was better to look like a numbskull shouting up into a tree than to get grabby with SOULs like an adult. Like Gaster himself.

Gaster was quiet for a long minute, considering, and Sans fidgeted. He always felt slightly nervous around their father when he got contemplative this way; he had a feeling Gaster was not only assessing the situation but wondering just how much of it was Sans’ fault. The older skeleton’s following pat to Sans’ head, however, startled and flustered him enough that he ducked away.

[Make a head start toward home. Papyrus and I will catch up,] Gaster urged.

Eyes narrowing, Sans frowned as much as he was able. *I can’t leave him up there.*

[I will get him down. Do you trust me to?]

It may or may not be to his credit that Sans still didn’t move; Gaster wasn’t sure if that was a negative answer to his question or simple loyalty to his brother, but eventually Sans shrugged lightly, rubbed his arms again and wandered off, looking discontented. _Just hope Paps doesn’t come home with that sad face he gets whenever Dad scolds him…_

With that dealt with, Gaster was able to turn full attention to the younger skeleton in the tree. True to his word, he flicked a hand and a glint of blue ignited over his head, deftly prying Papyrus off of the branch he was hugging. Papyrus squeaked in alarm, struggling against the tug on his SOUL to no avail; about halfway down the tree, he gave up, folding his arms and pouting as he was planted firmly on the ground.

After a solid minute, Papyrus ventured a glance upward. To his relief, Gaster didn’t look angry, but Papyrus was smart enough to know that he could just be pretending he wasn’t. Any second now, he could get a swat to the skull and be told not to run off again.

[Are you alright?] Gaster asked neutrally.

“Am I in trouble?” Papyrus countered, studying his feet as though they’d become very interesting and resisting the urge to wring his mittens. He barely reached Gaster’s waist, so it gave him an excuse not to look up again.

[That depends entirely on your answer. Why did you climb the tree?]

“It—it looked…climbable?” By some miracle, Papyrus managed not to wince at his own words, but his SOUL was turning in his chest.

[You are not a good liar, child, but I’ll indulge you. _Why_ did you think the tree was climbable? Did you have a reason to climb it? To hide, perhaps?]

“NO, no,” Papyrus stammered elusively, hastily lifting his head and widening his eye sockets as far as he could in a last-ditch attempt to seem honest. “S-Sans said he didn’t think I could, so I did.” It wasn’t nice to get his brother in trouble, but it was the only thing he could think to say.

[Sans has supported you in every new thing you’ve ever tried.] Gaster paused for a few seconds and then knelt, to his son’s surprise. [Was someone making fun of you?]

If it was possible, Papyrus’s eye sockets widened further in disbelief. How could he know that already? Papyrus hadn’t even told _Sans_ yet! Uncomfortably he took a step back, just out of Gaster’s reach, and sniffed. “Maybe.” The half-admission opened the gates. Actively wringing his mitts now, he blurted out, “They make fun of me. They laugh at me because I’m small and skinny—well, not _skinny_ , since we don’t have skin, but because I’m not…big-boned.”

Waving a hand unconcernedly, ignoring Papyrus’s flinch at the sudden movement, Gaster reminded him, [You’re too young to be big-boned.]

“But Sans isn’t that much older and _he_ is,” Papyrus whined, snapping his teeth shut with a click as he recalled that the other monsters had already accused Sans of being fat because of his structure. That was beside the point. “It’s not fair,” he concluded in a smaller voice, encompassing all of his thoughts in three words.

Gaster would have offered a rueful smile at that, but it was rather unfitting, so it never made its debut. [No, I know it’s not, but it can’t be helped.]

“But my arms and legs are ski—they’re small and gangly!” Papyrus waved them about for emphasis. “And I’m as short as Sans. I don’t want to be ugly!”

[You are not _ugly_ , Papyrus,] Gaster almost snapped, earning a jump. [You’re simply…You’re like me.] Papyrus gave him a blank look in return and Gaster briefly put his hands on the child’s bony shoulders. [I didn’t fill out until I was much older than you are now.]

“And older than Sans?” Papyrus ventured.

[Yes.]

“Is that why _he_ hasn’t gotten taller?”

Gaster resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Somehow—in his unceasing spirit of sharing, perhaps—Papyrus always found a way to extend his worries about himself to his brother simultaneously. [Perhaps,] he hazarded. It _could_ be a half-truth; not even Gaster knew how Sans’ frail frame would develop. He doubted there would be any great improvements, but it seemed like the right thing to say. Papyrus’s eyes had lit up with realization and cautious hope.

“So…someday I’ll be big and tall like you?”

Rising, Gaster held out an arm, allowing Papyrus to wrap a hand around his wrist. [That is my hope,] he answered honestly.

To his relief, the little one giggled shyly. “Bigger than Sans?”

[Most likely.]

Forced to hurry after Gaster’s long strides, Papyrus felt his spirits lift with each skipping step. “’kay…as long as I’m not small for the rest of my life, I can wait.” Gaster was just opening his mouth to approve of this decision when Papyrus added eagerly, “D’you…d’you think if I act big and great, like you are, the others won’t tease me as much?”

Gaster faltered at that, mouth closing and opening again as he processed the question. _No_ , _no, no, no…Don’t act like me. Don’t_ ever _act like me._ [Your brother and I would much rather you be yourself,] he replied tactfully, no trace of his thoughts revealed in his voice. _I'm not sure which of us would appreciate it more_.

“’kay. I’m the GREAT PAPYRUS!” the child burst out, releasing Gaster’s wrist and running ahead, hollering over his own echoes, “And NOBODY laughs at the GREAT PAPYRUS or—or his bodyguard Sans will beat them up! Then I’ll put them in a tree because I CAN climb them!” Gaster watched in amusement as Papyrus then stopped up short, looked hurriedly around into the fallen dusk, and scurried back the way he had come.

“I’m…I’m not scared,” he hissed grudgingly at their surroundings, bones clattering in a little shiver as he latched onto his father—with both hands, this time.

[It’s alright for the Great Papyrus to be scared of the dark,] Gaster commented, finally offering him a hint of a smile. [I think that’s something you’ll grow out of too.]

**Author's Note:**

> (Bonus Headcanon: Gaster found Sans sleeping somewhere along the road back home and finally dropped enough of his pride to carry his boys the rest of the way, nyeheheheh)
> 
> Sooo I'm kind of ~~really~~ late to the Undertale party, but here's a little fanfic for it regardless! I did my best not to make it too incoherent or anything XD Feedback would be appreciated!


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